When someone is injured in a car crash, their grades are typically the last thing on their minds.
Fortunately for these students, Auburn University offers a solution.
The Program for Students with Disabilities gives a second chance to those facing serious mental and health conditions.
"It's really a medical resignation program," said Dr. Fred Kam, executive and medical director at the AU Medical Clinic. "It's under the condition to the extent that it significantly affected their ability to attend class. Therefore, that would be grounds to apply for the possibility of a medical resignation."
Shanna Brodbeck, a disability specialist and the medical resignation/withdrawal coordinator, handles all cases on campus for students with these conditions.
The Program for Students with Disabilities is located in 1228 Haley.
This is now the room in which all decisions regarding academic resignation are made.
"It used to be set up where the deans and the University would make the decisions," said Tracy Donald, director for the Program for Students with Disabilities, "but they wanted to centralize everything at one location, so now we pretty much run everything."
If a student has a mental or physical condition barring them from completing school work, they first have to see a physician.
"What I or my physicians do is we go through the criteria and determine whether or not this person does have an issue or something, and then we would provide them documentation to that affect," Kam said. "It's not like you just show up at the disabilities office and get resignation. You have to have documentation that you have seen someone and you've been in treatment and so on."
After getting documentation from a physician or counselor, students are then able receive help from the disabilities program.
"The kids are scared and don't always know what to do," Brodbeck said. "They come to me, and we discuss their situation and try to figure out what is the best thing for them academically, but the first priority is always their health."
This program is not a "get out of jail free card,'" but it is intended to be a system to further the education of a student who may have an unavoidable condition.
According to Dr. Kam, there are situations where students try to beat the system and come in at the end of the semester and claim resignation.
However, he also said there is a level of accountability for which the student has to take personal responsibility.
"If a student has had problems the entire semester and then finally decides to come see us, there isn't much we can do to help them," Brodbeck said. "It takes a while for the papers to process."
These are not always severe cases for students.
For example, a student may be in a bad car accident, and they may have to spend weeks in a hospital.
The program helps these kids find a way out of their tough situation.
"Basically, every case is so different," Brodbeck said. "Like if a patient just had their first seizure and now they can't take their final, we work with them to make sure they don't lose their academic standing."
Students are given a deadline to turn paperwork in before finals, and the disabilities claim is on every syllabus for every class.
"I believe the policy is fair," Donald said. "It offers consistency and holds all students to the same standard. If a student here is mentally or physically disabled, they may not know resources in the area to get some help."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
